


The Power of Love

by KikiHapkido



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Brainwashing, Cuban Lance (Voltron), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gen, Getting Together, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, Post Season 7, Romance, Slow Burn, adashi, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-20 08:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16133381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KikiHapkido/pseuds/KikiHapkido
Summary: After the last fight on earth and nearly dying in it, the paladins of Voltron don't even get one minute time to relax and process anything that went down. Physically and emotionally exhausted they need to get back up again and find out what lies in front of them. And while they all are too caught up in their mission and own struggles, they don't realize how they're slowly drifting apart from each other.Between war, hijackings and treason, they have to reconnect with each other and come to terms with their own inner demons.





	1. Loneliness

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, people out there. This is how I will kill the time until Season 8. As long as it's possible, updates will be at least weekly and if have time even earlie than that.  
> I'am a german person, so english is not my frist language. If you find mistakes, please tell me in a nice manner. So hopefully you enjoy my little mind baby. xD

When Lance awakened the first time, the only things he perceived were loud voices, a steady beeping near him and his aching headache. He tried to open up his eyes, but didn’t seem to have the strength to do so. His lids felt so heavy he thought they were glued together. A hand were placed gently on his shoulder and a voice, which sounded extremely like his mother’s, told him to lay down. “Calm down, hijo. You need rest. We can talk later.” Then he lost consciousness again. 

The next time he woke up, he was alone in the room. His head still hurt and he was immensely thirsty. His eyes searched the room and it became clear to him that he was at the garrison in a hospital room. He wasn’t dead or gravely injured, otherwise they wouldn’t have left him unsupervised. So physically he was ok. Kind of. Emotionally… he wasn’t so sure of that. That was the second time he had a near death experience even though he never wanted to witness something like that again. After he died almost one year ago he couldn’t sleep for approximately six months. Now when he thought he was finally over it, everything came back to him. The cold nothingness. The hopelessness. And the panic. Breathing became harder, and he could feel that he was on the edge of a panic attack. He wanted to get up and off the bed. Preferably even out of the room, out of the garrison and out of his own skin. 

Just as the tears were about to spill over, the door was pushed open. His vision was hazy so couldn’t identify the person who rushed over to him. Only when they started to whisper soothing words into his ear, he recognized his sister’s voice. Veronica cradled him in her arms: “It’s okay. Everything’s fine. You’re safe now. Cálmate. Estoy aquí. Estás bien.” Quiet sobs escaped Lance, and he pressed closer to her. Every single bad memory since they found the blue lion in the desert flooded his mind. Every death he has caused, every pain he has endured, every betrayal he has allowed to happen. It took Veronica almost half an hour to calm him down. And when he finally did, she didn’t ask him any question regarding his outburst. She just handed him a glass of water and watched him silently. 

After a few moments of quietness where you could only hear the steady beeping of Lance’s heart frequency, she uttered calmly: “I know that maybe you don’t want to talk about what happened in space yet, but please remember… I and every one of us is always there for you. As soon as you are ready, we will listen. You’re not alone in this, little brother.” Affectionately she ruffled his hair and send him her personal smile he oh so missed all this time. Voltron’s right-hand man sniffled and laughed out loud: “How I missed you and your over protectively sisterness.” Veronica practically beamed at that and ruffled his hair one last time, before she put some space between them. 

“You know, that’s not a real word, don’t you?” 

“Stop being Mrs. Know-it-all. That’s just the Lance’s style.” 

He pretended to be offended but when their eyes met, both of them started giggling uncontrollably. 

“How are the others?”

His sister sighed exaggerated: “It’s always the same with you. Constantly worrying about everyone else except yourself.”

“Well… I seem to be fine, so of course I would think about my friends. That’s only natural.” 

Veronica couldn’t hide her small smile and told her brother that the other paladins were ok according to the upper authority. 

“You will see them soon. Don’t worry.” 

Lance send her a questioning look and the oldest McClain admitted: “It appears none of you will have much time to rest. The giant robot you only defeated with Atlas’ help contained an… altean as energy source.”

“An altean?!” 

Lance’s head shot up, and he immediately wanted to leave the bed. _How could he have been sleeping this whole time, when there was something this big going on? Does Allura know? What about Coran? What kind of right-hand man would sleep through the most difficult time for his friends?_

“Veronica, let me go! I need to talk to the team!” 

His sisters needed to use all of her strength to keep him in bed. 

“Lance, you are allowed to talk to them… as soon as you are feeling better.”

“But I _am_ feeling better already. See?” 

With one last thrust he pushed his sister away, tore out the infusion needles and was within one second out of the door. He fled down the hallway without knowing where to go. He wasn’t sure where his friends were quartered, so his only option was to push open every door he’d encounter. Lance bursts through his neighbor’s and was suddenly face to face with his long-term rival. 

Surprised Lance squealed, stumbled back and landed on his butt not very elegantly. Keith blinked a few times, before he opened his mouth: “I was wondering what this commotion was about but I see… it was just you, Lance.” 

The black paladin smirked knowingly and continued to tease his partner in crime: “Do you want to stay there or do you want to come in?” 

That was what made Lance function again. He narrowed his eyes, stood up and sent Keith an ugly scowl: “Shut up, Mullet.” Keith flinched at the venom in Lance’s voice. 

“I…” 

“Don’t even try, Keith.” 

Without shooting him another glare, he pushed the raven-haired boy aside and ignored his sister’s worried look, when she arrived at the scene. He heard how Veronica exchanged a few words with Keith and puffed angrily. _Who does he think he is?! First he pretended to hate his very existing, and now he wants to be best buds again?!_

Lance wanted to be friends again with Keith. He really did… but until now he thought Voltron’s leader just thought of him as annoying. It was true that they bonded when Keith became the black paladin for the first time and Lance his right-hand man. Both of them opened up to the other and Lance told him things he hadn’t even told Hunk. _Keith of all people!_ He really thought they were getting closer… maybe even becoming friends. But then he left. He left Lance with all his insecurities and all his overthinking alone. He had no one to talk to anymore because before he knew it Keith became his safe haven. Someone to run to, when times get tough. Then Keith returned and Lance was sure he wouldn’t be alone anymore. That they could continue where they have left off. But Keith pushed him away. He was mean, hostile and reserved. 

“I’m done.”

The words left his mouth before he could think about their meaning… but he knew they were true. He didn’t have the strength anymore to feel miserable because of Keith. He wanted to keep the space between them, then so be it. From now on they would just be teammates and nothing more. 

_What was he even hoping for? Why would Keith want to be friends with him? Everyone always thinks he’s annoying and a bother._

He entered his hospital room and closed the door. When Veronica knocked, he didn’t open it again. 

“I want to be alone. Please.” 

“Let me help you, Lance. You don’t have to be alone.” 

He whispered so softly that she didn’t hear it: “I am already alone.” 

He sank to the ground and listened to her retreating foot-steps. Most likely she went looking for their mamá, so that she could scold her son for shutting himself out. Lance didn’t care. He just wanted the pain and loneliness to stop. What a single face could do to him was abnormal. Before he stumbled into Keith, he was craving to meet up with the others, but now he wanted to be left alone. To drown in good memories and never emerge again. No nothingness, no hopelessness, no panic. Times when he could laugh wholeheartedly, when he could be his silly self with no danger around the corner, when he could be friends with Keith Kogane. 

And then there were tears. He cried over every death he has caused, every pain he has endured, every betrayal he has allowed to happen. And he cried over lost friendships, lost romances and lost time with people who will never be the same as before.


	2. Embarrassment

Two days after Lance’s mental breakdown, the paladins of Voltron plus Shiro and Coran were expected in the conference room. Pidge as well as everyone else at the garrison already knew about the altean in the robot. It was a horrific thought that the altean had been cooperating voluntarily with whoever was behind all of this. After a very long discussion in the middle of the night, she and Hunk came to the same conclusion: Maybe Haggar was finally making a move. The brainstorming went even so far that they didn’t want to exclude the idea of an alliance between the witch and the colony. For the sake of Allura and Coran both of them prayed they were wrong. But Pidge was sure… if she and Hunk agreed on something it most likely was true. 

The so-called _little gremlin_ sighed and pushed open the door to the conference room. It seemed she was one of the last ones to arrive. A group of people was gathered around the huge table and weren’t noticing her yet. She laid eyes on her companions. Shiro was in an animated argument with Iverson, Keith and her father. Hunk and Coran were examining a map, while Allura was remarkably quiet. Then her gaze wandered to an all familiar figure and she screamed overjoyed: “Matt!” 

She tackled her brother to the ground and almost burst into tears of relief. 

“Hey, little one!” 

“I’ve missed you!” 

“I’ve missed you, too!” 

The group watched the display with fond looks and while Pidge and her brother continued to cuddle on the floor Lance pushed the door open. He ogled the scene in front of him. 

“I know I am irresistible, but you didn’t have to _fall_ for me.” 

He sent them his characteristic finger guns, Pidge rolled her eyes and she and Matt got up from the floor. Therefore, the meeting could officially start. 

Everyone took a seat and Sam made his way up to the front. He cleared his throat and begin his lecture. He told them how the galra empire managed to conquer most of the other planets except Earth, how Earth became the base of the rebellion, how he got officially appointed as new head of the garrison. Of course Pidge noticed instantly how her father tried to avoid the most serious problem. So she interrupted him without any second thoughts.

“Dad, stop that.” 

“What are you talking about, Katie?” 

“You need to address the elephant in the room or you’re only making it worse. An altean was the energy source of this overpowered new high-tech-robot!” 

The room went quiet. 

“Pidge, you’re really as sensitive as a chainsaw.” 

The green paladin gave Lance a glare and said matter as factly: “This has nothing to do with being empathetic or not. We don’t know where she came from, what her motives were or if she was working with someone.” 

“When did we come to the conclusion that she offered herself as a life-source voluntarily? We don’t know anything about her circumstances. Maybe she didn’t have a choice or was forced…” 

The science nerd cut Lance off roughly and raised her voice: “That’s the point, Lance! _We. Don’t. Know!_ We know nothing about what happened during our three year absence. We don’t know where Haggar is or what she’s up to. We don‘t know if Lotor is dead or just trapped, nor do we fully understand what really transpired back then. We know _nothing_!” 

She slammed her fist on the table and even Iverson flinched at that. 

“Geez, Pidge. Calm down! I was only trying to say that we shouldn’t always expect the worst possible outcome.” 

“But that’s just going to make us ignorant to what’s really going on.” 

Everyone turned their attention to the princess who spoke for the first time since the meeting started. She had her hands folded and looked more serious than ever before. 

“We need to be prepared for everything, even if that means that…” 

She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced the words out: “Even if that means that the altean colony got corrupted by Haggar or someone else.” 

The princess bit her lip and tried not to look too devastated, but failed miserably. Now Pidge felt guilty for being harsh of how she phrased her statement. 

“Allura, I’m…” 

“Don’t you dare apologize, Pidge. You were absolutely right. I am the one who’s always preaching that the mission is our top priority. I should act accordingly.” 

Lance broke the long silence that followed: “So, what do we do now? When we know nothing about what’s going on, how could we possibly be prepared for what’s coming next?” 

“First, we need to find out, where the altean came from and who she was working with… if she was working with or for someone. The atlas has to be repaired. Hunk, I suppose that’s your job.” 

Keith has stood up from his seat and has placed himself on the front. He took over the leadership-role without a second thought and Podge could see the proud-brother-smile Shiro sent his way. She snorted a little at that, but still added a very important point. 

“We also need to fill in the rest of the coalition of our plans and next steps.”

And so the discussion went on. Together they completed the list until Keith was satisfied with the result. Everyone got a clear task to fulfill, but not everyone was happy with it. 

“Guys, I appreciate your trust in my abilities… really. The thing is… I’m not sure if I am able to repair the atlas. I have too little information on how it operates.” 

“That’s what Coran and Matt are for. Don’t worry, Hunk… our trust in you is completely justified.” 

Shiro smiled encouraging at the yellow paladin who seemed to gain a bit more confidence from that. 

“C’mon number 2, we got this.” 

“Coran’s right, Hunk my man. If someone can do this, it’s gotta be you two!” 

“You’re more amazing than you think. The yellow lion chose you for a reason and you proved more than once that he made the right choice.” 

Hunk sighed and rubbed his neck flustered: “Guys, you’re flattering me.” 

He shoved all the compliments beside, but seemed to be more eager to accomplish his task now. Soon the meeting dissolved because everyone got work to do. Before Pidge could excuse herself, though, Matt caught her at the door.

“Can we talk for a moment?” 

The green paladin hesitated. _Why did her brother sound so serious_? 

“Sure, what’s up?” 

He took a deep breath in and overexcitedly said: “I’d like you to meet someone. She is very cool and smart and pure hearted and so awesome. You’re going to love her, I bet. Maybe she can even help you and you two can get to know each other better.” 

With heart shaped eyes, he gave her a look of sheer hopefulness. When Pidge just stared at him confused, he explained it more clearly to her. 

“I am asking, if you’d like to meet my girlfriend?” 

At that statement her eyes widened, she opened her mouth to say something… anything. But nothing came out. Totally flabbergasted she screamed: “Your _what_?!”

***

“Ridiculous. Stupid. Irrelevant. Totally inappropriate.”

Pidge cursed while she slammed her fingers on the keyboard of her computer. 

“She can’t talk to me like that.” 

Her eyes flew over the display and her fingers stopped moving. 

“Such a bitch!”

Her fists found the table and the team she was working with all turned their heads in her direction. 

“Keep your cool, Katie. She’s your brother’s girlfriend. You’re supposed to like her.” 

But when the green paladin of Voltron thought back to what happened the day before her blood started to boil again. Her face turned red and she dug her nails into her hands. Fima, Matt’s girlfriend, embarrassed her in front of everyone.

She knew she shouldn’t be this upset about something so small… it was just that she couldn’t help it, but felt left out. It was bad enough that she missed everything that went down the past three years and now she found out her brother as well as his life also changed. It was just too much for her. And then he got together with a smart aleck. Pidge was sure that her antipathy was mutual. How could she seriously interpret what happened yesterday any different from that? 

 

_“Soooo… Pidgeon, this is Fima. Fima this is my sister Katie or how her friends call her… Pidge.”_

_Pidge managed to put on a faked smile._

_“She’s not my friend yet. Stop offering it without my consent.”, she thought to herself while she shook Fima’s hand._

_“It’s nice to finally meet you, green paladin of Voltron.”_

Green paladin of Voltron? Seriously? What was she supposed to answer to that? 

Why was she making such a big deal out of that? It wasn’t like that never happened before. Matt had girlfriends in the past. Maybe she couldn’t handle it because it has developed during her absence. 

_So she did what she always did when she has a social-problem and doesn’t know how to deal with it: Acting like the problem wasn’t there._

_“Yeah… it’s nice to meet you, too.”_

_After that an awkward silence broke out and Pidge began to sweat._

_“So, how did you guys meet?”_

_“We are both part of the rebels.”, answered Fima and Matt chimed in happily._

_“At first we were just friends, but it evolved over time to much more.”_

_“Well, that happens when you are stuck in space together.”_

_Both giggled disgustingly adorable and Pidge thought about how that clearly didn’t happen between the paladins. Shortly after she thought this, she remembered. Keith – Lance – Allura – Lotor._ Well, maybe it did happen to Voltron after all. 

_“I’m happy for you. I really am, but I need…”_

_“… to get back to work. I know.”_

_Her brother interrupted her smirking and turned to Fima._

_“I thought that it would be an awesome idea, if you could work together on this. To get to know each other better.”_

_“Please say no, please say no…”, Pidge prayed to no one in particular, but Fima literally beamed at that: “I would love to help wherever I can.”_

_“Yeah…”_

_The green paladin of Voltron tried to sound ecstatic, but failed at that pathetically. Not that Matt or his girlfriend noticed any of her distress, they just went along with whatever they wanted to hear._

_“Then I’m going. Have fun!”_

_He said goodbye and left her alone with Fima who was still smiling at her annoyingly nice._

_“Let’s get it over with.”, Pidge murmured and went ahead._

_A comfortable silence fell over them and she enjoyed having some time to collect her thoughts. Until her company broke the peace._

_“What are you’re working on, green paladin?”_

Green paladin! Again. Could she be even more formal?

_“You probably heard from the altean-life-source. We need to find out where she came from and if she was working with someone.”_

_“You work only by yourself?”_

_“No, I have a team by my side who will help me figure this out.”_

_They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they arrived Pidge greeted her new team and explained how they are going to proceed from now on._

_“We’re going to put the residue of her verbal relungta into a functional impressator and compare it with other known courses. After that we’re…”_

_“Excuse me, green paladin of Voltron, but wouldn’t it be much more effective if we’d first separate her DNA and other distracting chemicals from her body, before we should scan her verbal relungta?”_

_The room fell silent and Pidge sent a venomous gaze her way. The vein on her forehead swelled for anger. She witnessed the looks everyone gave them and ordered loudly: “Get to work. You know your commands!”_

_After that, she turned around to Fima._

_She sighed, massaged her temples and tried to explain to her why she cannot talk back to her in front Pidge’s subordinates._

_“I wasn’t talking back. I was just helping to find a more effective way. A way which wouldn’t cost us as much time as your way, green paladin of…”_

_“Cut it with that_ green paladin _stuff!”, she snapped. Her patience was finally over and she couldn’t pretend that everything was fine anymore._

_“I am sorry if I offended you. How am I supposed to call you then?”_

_“Just pick a name! Even a nickname would be better than_ green paladin of Voltron.” 

_Pidge drifted back to the front and caught every person in the room staring at the pair. Just as she was about to yell at them, Fima’s voice rang loudly in the room._

_“What about our discussion? Are you going to change your method, little one?”_

_Pidge stood still. She heard how someone in the back row tried to hide his laughter in a coughing fit. Even someone not far away from her had the guts to snort a little at that. She felt how her cheeks got warmer and how her pulse quickened. An embarrassed_ and _angry Pidge was not a good combination._

_She faced Fima again and pressed out: “What did you just call me?”_

_“Huh? Little one? I was supposed to think of another name and decided that little one was an appropriate option. You are the smallest of the paladins after all.”_

_Pidge’s face took a darker shade of red, if that was even possible._

_“How dare you!”_

_Fima stood motionless before an outraged paladin of Voltron and clearly didn’t know how to act. Apparently she didn’t understand what she did wrong._

_“I’m sorry, I thought…”_

_“I don’t want you to talk! I want you to vanish!”_

_In her emotional outburst, she didn’t care if she was being irrational or mean. She just wanted the old times back, where she knew what was going on in her brother’s life. She stormed past Fima, but before she left the room, she yelled over her back: “I said… Get back to work!”_

_The door was slammed closed and Pidge fled to her room._

_In her room Pidge tugged herself under a blanket and began typing furiously on her laptop all the while regretting her emotional outburst._ That wasn’t like her at all! How could she has lost her cool this much?! She is a paladin of Voltron – even if she didn’t like Fima calling her that – and she’s supposed to act accordingly. How will the others react when they hear about her behavior? Will Shiro scold her? Will Allura be disappointed? 

_“Oh god… what about Matt? He’s going to hate me! I told her to vanish!”_

_She buried her face in her hands and wanted to vanish herself. She closed her laptop and let the tears fall._ What was wrong with her? _She didn’t understand her inner turmoil. What was even her problem? _For the first time in her life she didn’t have an answer to a question she asked herself.__

_***_

Now the young paladin was sitting at her work place and was trying to be productive. Her way really was too ineffective. _Maybe Fima was right. When her next move was also a failure, she would try her way._ After what had transpired, Pidge never saw her again... or her brother. _She really messed up. At least the others didn't hear about her faux paus._ Actually Pidge saw her fellow paladins the least out of everyone involved, but that was only natural when they were all occupied with important stuff. _That's normal... right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I absolutely adore Pidge, but writing her is sooo difficult. ^^''  
> That said, the science talk is completely made up. Made up words and made up science. Don't take it too seriously. xD


End file.
